Comments about Staedtler Mars Draft Automatic Pencil:

I have a Staedtler that I bought in Japan a few years ago, and was expecting something similar. My Staedtler has the body all in metal, which gives a perfect balance and great grip.

This pencil is nothing like the one I have. It's all plastic and very light, which gives it a poor balance. It's a good value if you're looking for a day-to-day automatic pencil, has doesn't have that something special.

I decided to return these and go with the Alvin Draft Matic.

Comments about Staedtler Mars Draft Automatic Pencil:

i gave it only 3 stars due to 2 reasons...one, merely a slight annoyance...the other more significant, at least to me...

the first reason is the eraser cover/cap...i found it awkward replacing it back over the eraser after each time i'd use the eraser...it will not snap back securely without pressing down on the lead feed 'clicker' so each time i'd try to put the cap back over the eraser, i'd inadvertantly extend the graphite lead at the other end...finally, after several such tries i simply left the eraser cap off...

the second reason is the availability of eraser refills...if you use a separate, dedicated eraser while you work/draw then neither of my reasons shall matter to you and otherwise it's an excellent pencil...i, however, like the convenience of having the eraser afixed to my pencil and thus i don't even use a separate eraser...these erasers are very thin however, and they get used up very fast...

unfortunately, eraser refills for staedtler are difficult to find so i finally decided to buy another pencil, one without these shortcomings [at least short comings as far as i'm concerned]...i bought a koh-i-noor 'mephisto', which has no protective eraser cap [you twist the eraser housing to extend or retract the eraser] and for which eraser refills are commonly available, and i'm happier with the latter...it is more expensive however...

if the eraser issue is a non-issue to you, then by all means buy the staedtler mars though...it is a well made mechanical pencil therefore i'd still recommend it highly to everyone who will not opt to use the pencil's built in eraser...

Comments about Staedtler Mars Draft Automatic Pencil:

Great pencil, but the erasers are hard to find and rather expensive compared to other similar pencils.

Comments about Staedtler Mars Draft Automatic Pencil:

I use this pencil for basic preliminary sketches of artwork I do with pen and marker. I love the thinness of the pencil itself, most mechanical pencils with this size lead are relatively bulky and hard to control. This is a fantastic deal, I love using the .03 to work out tiny details.